{"id":509,"date":"2016-02-15T19:08:03","date_gmt":"2016-02-15T19:08:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/2bgreener.com\/?p=509"},"modified":"2016-02-15T19:08:03","modified_gmt":"2016-02-15T19:08:03","slug":"red-and-white-or-yellow-and-black","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/2bgreener.com\/?p=509","title":{"rendered":"Red and White – or Yellow and Black?"},"content":{"rendered":"

One of my favorite speakers is Jack Uldrich<\/a>, a Futurist and expert on Unlearning.\u00a0I first heard him speak at a conference for contractors, architects and engineers, and I was stunned to hear some of the excellent examples he shared about how we need to constantly unlearn and relearn in order to succeed in life. I quickly came to realize that this is exceptionally true in the world of ever-innovative sustainability.<\/p>\n

First, some quick background. We learn so much, especially in our formative years, that we struggle to make room for new information. Unfortunately, it is not natural to simply learn something new and let it overwrite what we already have in our memory banks. We must work to unlearn, recognize the new info, and move on, knowing we will again have to unlearn and relearn as that info evolves further and changes in the near future.<\/p>\n

Exhausting.<\/p>\n

Our nature is to be content with what we know, and resist the changes around us. I believe this is one part of why meditation seeks comfort with emptiness of thought, because gaining awareness and comfort with that space allows change to occur. This change can be in our own emotional and spiritual state as well as with the knowledge we house, work with, and share.<\/p>\n

One of the first things Jack shared with the room was a question about yield signs on the roads. Are they yellow and black or are they red and white? Think about this a second, and hold on to your answer. A little over half the room chose yellow and black, and I was one of them. The rest chose red and white.<\/p>\n

In the USA since 1971, yield signs have been red and white. They were yellow and black before that date. This was a total surprise to me! How is it that most of the people in the room of 500 plus drivers, many of whom didn’t even get their licence until AFTER 1971, thought the signs were yellow and black, even while driving every day and seeing yield signs? Because the image of the yield sign was in our brains already and could not be replaced by the “new” colors without effort.<\/p>\n

This is one of the videos on Jack’s website.<\/p>\n

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This occurs every day. How many times have I had to reassure people that turning off CFL lights won’t reduce the life span of the lamp? When CFLs were first introduced (commercially available in 1980’s and readily available in the early 1990’s), they did wear more quickly with frequent on\/off cycling, but more advanced bulbs don’t have that issue. \u00a0Even if there is\u00a0a small life reduction, just a few minutes off would make up for it and weigh in favor of turning off the light. Cars used to benefit greatly from a fairly decent warm-up idle in cold weather, but no longer. Yet people still run their cars in 30 degree and colder weather for 10-20 minutes, actually burdening the car’s motor, causing increased emissions and getting zero mpg in the process.<\/p>\n

Recognizing the need to unlearn in order to accept new, over-riding information can be powerful in moving the work of sustainability and resilience forward. Set aside the offended feeling or frustration at people’s lack of awareness or understanding and find out what bit of knowledge needs gentle cleaning out. Once you identify that clutter (yes, it truly is clutter, as an old newspaper you’ve kept and you can’t remember why)\u00a0you can begin to share updated information with greater traction.<\/p>\n

Additionally, pay attention to your own clutter. Reading up on new tech and services in the burgeoning world of sustainability and resiliency is great, but you will be more successful in holding onto new info if you can ruminate and identify old concepts that you can set aside, deliberately. When you find yourself saying something like “but this is the way I’ve always done it”, take a moment to take stock of your memory cache.<\/p>\n

Unlearn, and make some room for the now and the future.<\/p>\n

Jodi<\/p>\n

Here is one of Jack’s compilation videos on Unlearning. Enjoy!<\/p>\n